Week One :: June 23–30

The Life of the Written Word

Language is a living and dynamic thing, passed along through writing. Words and the act of writing can erase or reclaim history, identity. We write to communicate our truths, and we read to understand, to gain new perspectives, new knowledge and new empathy. For these reasons, the literary arts find themselves at the forefront of cultural, political, and artistic conversations in the U.S. and around the world. As the line between writer and reader is blurred, we recognize that human beings are storytellers as well as story readers. In this weeklong festival, Chautauqua builds upon its traditions as a literary community, and we hold up the power of language and pledge to be responsible stewards of that power.

Interfaith Lecture Theme ::Producing a Living Faith Today?

Who is God in a world that has been shaped by Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Freud and Einstein? What does the Bible really say? How do you deal with the supernatural in a non-supernatural world? If God is all-powerful, why is there suffering? What does resurrection mean? What does it mean to be raised into God? Christianity is bound up with these questions, and these are the questions to be raised in this week guided by John Shelby Spong, former Episcopal bishop of Newark.